The overall aim of this research is to clarify our knowledge of the socioeconomic distribution of suicide. We will study in a number of ways suicide deaths in one community over a period of twenty years. First, we will determine the distribution of suicide by socioeconomic characteristics for stable populations and for populations that include in-migrants. Information on changes in socioeconomic factors in a period before death will be obtained for suicides and for two control groups. Results of this analysis will be used to assess the risk of such changes on suicide and to help explain inconsistencies in the socioeconomic distribution of suicide. To explicate further the role of socioeconomic factors in suicide and related conditions we shall compare suicides, people reporting many depressive symptoms and people treated for depression; the last two groups are presumably at high risk for suicide. In Washington County, Maryland social and economic data from private censuses in 1963 and 1975 are available for over 90% of the population. Death certificates are available for all deaths from 1963 to the present. Also on hand are information about all residents treated for psychiatric illness from 1961 to 1968 and the results of a survey in the early 1970's about depressive symptoms. From these data rates of suicide, treated depression and depressive symptomatology will be calculated and compared for different social and economic groups. Using information from the 1975 census and from the death certificates and medical examiner reports of suicides from 1975-82, we will determine what changes suicides made before their deaths in residence, occupation, marital status and economic status (based on housing). These changes will be compared with changes made by a matched group who died at the same time as the suicides and by a matched group who were similar to the suicides in 1975 but had not died at the time of the suicide.